Clip for hearing aid cases



E w BORN cu? FOR HEARING AID CASES Filed Jan.

Patented Dec. 26, 1950 CLIP FOR HEARING AID CASES Elroy W. Born,Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to The Maico Company, Incorporated,Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application January 10,1949, Serial No. 70,032

2 Claims.

My invention relates generally to spring clips and, more specifically,to means for securing hearing aid casings and the like to a pocket orother portion of a wearers garment.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of highly efficientand yet inexpensive means for securing hearing aid casings and the liketo the pocket or other portion of the garment of the wearer.

Another highly important object of my invention is the provision ofmeans, whereby fastening means may be quickly and inexpensively securedto and removed from a hearing aid casing or the like without the use ofany special tools.

The above and still further objects of my invention will become apparentfrom the following detailed specification, appended claims, and attacheddrawings.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like characters indicate like partsthroughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in front elevation, illustrating the use ofmy novel clip in securing the hearing aid casing to the pocket of agarment;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of a hearing aid casing with my novelclip applied thereto, some parts broken away and some parts shown insection;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail as seen from the line 3-3 ofFig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of one of the casing sections of ahearing aid casing, one of the clips of my invention applied thereto andone removed therefrom.

Referring with greater particularity to the drawings, the numeral lindicates, in its entirety, a casing for hearing aids or the likecomprising front and rear shell-like sections 2 and 3 respectively, asshown, the front section 2 being provided with a lip or flange 4 whichis telescopically received within the peripheral edge portion or lip 5of the rear section 3.

One of the sections, preferably and as shown, the front section 2, isprovided, in its opposite side walls 6 and l, with notches 8 whichextend inwardly from the edges thereof toward the front wall 9. Thecasing sections 2 and 3 are preferably formed from plastic or othermolded material and in any event are provided with recesses IS on theinterior of the side walls 6 and l which extend downwardly from thenotches 8.

The numeral ll indicates, in their entireties, generally U-shaped springclips which, preferably and as shown, are each provided with onerelatively long leg I2 and one relatively short leg i3. The relativelyshort leg l3, intermediate its extreme ends, is provided with an angularportion it which, as shown, is adapted to extend transversely throughone of the notches 8. De-

pending from the portions it are foot portions it which are of a size tobe snugly received within the recesses I 0.

When it is desired to apply the clips II to the casing I, the sections 2and 3 are separated and the clips 5 l are applied to the front section 2by inserting the angular section ll; laterally into the notches 8 sothat the feet !5 come to rest within the recesses I0. It will be seenthat, when the spring clips H are thus positioned, the longer legs I2make frictional engagement with the exterior of the side walls '6 and Ibelow the lower end of the feet l5. It will be obvious that, when therear casing section 3 is applied as shown in Fig. 2, so as to close thenotches 8, the spring clips II are retained within the notches 8 againstaccidental removal. In fact, removal can be accomplished only byseparation of the sections 2 and 3. It wil be understood that the casingsections 2 and 3 may be locked together by means not shown, such meansforming no part of the instant invention.

It will be seen, by reference particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, that springclips II are locked in close proximity to the top of the casing I sothat the greater part of the weight of the hearing aid lies below theclips II. The clips ll thus located permit insertion of the hearing aidcasing I into a pocket indicated at :1: in Fig. 1 to substantially theentire depth thereof, with the legs 52 of clips 5! engaging the wall ofthe pocket :1: to prevent the hearing aid from accidentally fallinoutwardly therefrom.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will beunderstood that the same is capable of modification without departurefrom the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, cooperating front and rear casingsections, one of said sections being provided with a notch in one sidewall thereof, a recess on the interior of said wall adjacent the edgethereof extending downwardly from said notch, and a generally U- shapedspring clip, one leg of said clip being provided with an angular portionintermediate its ends adapted to extend through the notch in said casingsection, and an offset foot receiv- 3 4 able in said recess, the otherleg of said clip REFERENCES CITED friitfionauy engaging the exterior Wanof said The following references are of record in the Sec file of thispatent:

2. The structure defined in clalm 1 in which said notch opens toward theother of said casing 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS sections, whereby to permitremoval of said clip Number Name Date from said recess only when saidsections are 1,372,959 Klenk Mar. 29, 1921 separated; 1,9 3,153 Lang;Aug. 22, 1933 ELROY W. BORN. 2,039,410 Harris May' 5, 1936 10 2,318,238Linville May 4, 1943

